Tricksters Touch

another holovespa wasp. As before in Kel's case, the holovespa was intercepted by the new breed of wasp from the south, the univer'silsila. Akindo loosed another holovespa, and another, and another. Soon the sky was buzzing with the furious creatures. They were met by more univer'silsila. The two swarms ripped into each other. Fasilla could not reach the top of the stairs leading to the Kaleidicopia. The sound of the wasps increased. Himayat pulled Fasilla away from the wasp swarm. Neither was stung. The front door of the Kaleidicopia flew open. It was Yafatah. The holovespa fell on her, stinging the child venomously. She screamed, fighting off the attacking insects with her hands. Reaching blindly for the door, Yafatah off the last of the holovespa and stumbled into the of the Kaleidicopia. The door of the «K» slammed shut. Unlike last time she was stung, Yafatah did not react to the stings of the holovespa wasps. Barlimo was surprised by this and said so. The rest of the house members gathered around Yafatah. Examining Yafatah's head, Podiddley remarked, «Maybe they saved her life.» «What?» asked Barlimo. «Immunized her,» explained Po, reexamining Yafatah's ' stings. Each sting was red and had what healers called a local swelling. «But how would they know to do that? And do it to Yafatah?» No one had an answer for this. Outside in the street, Akindo shuffled and drooled. Hundreds of dead holovespa wasps crunched under his feet. A battle had been waged. The holovespa wasps had lost, and at Eranossa, Greatkin Mattermat was no longer laughing at Rimble and his burnt roast. Why? Because Rimble had salvaged it; the next generation of Rimble's own, represented by Yafatah, would now survive the Jinnaeon. Yafatah was immune to the despair of her Age. *17* Kelandris followed Aunt in silence. The Jinnjirri shade walked effortlessly over the rough terrain of dark Neath. Watching Aunt negotiate a particularly steep incline with ease, Kelandris began to feel as though Aunt might prove to be a reliable guide in the «test» to come. Kelandris rolled her eyes. When she took her place at the Panthe'kinarok table, Kelandris decided she would propose the outlawing of Greatkin tests. They offended her sense of fair play. Kelandris sighed. Nevertheless, her rather strong feelings on the subject were not going to get her out of the ordeal ahead of her. Although Aunt had said the test to get into Neath would be fun, Kelandris suspected it would be anything but. After all, this was Neath. Nightmares came from Neath. Aunt led Kelandris down a rocky ravine. As they reached a tiny rivulet at the ravine's bottom, Kelandris said, «I thought Troth said Neath was made up of corridors. Not open places.» «You're not in Neath proper yet, Kelandris. When you get inside, you'll see the corridors.» Kelandris stopped. «Then where are we going?» «To the River of Memory.» «What are we going to do there?» «Who knows?» said Aunt cryptically. Kelandris swore, but continued to follow Aunt along the bank of the rivulet. In time, she heard a roaring sound. Probably waterfalls, she decided. And indeed they were. As Kelandris and Aunt slipped through a narrow place in the ravine, they came face-to-face with a thundering dark waterfall that was lit from within by blue-black light. The spray of the water dampened Kel's hair. The falls themselves were comparatively low—perhaps no more than ten feet in height. Kelandris frowned. How could such low falls make so much noise? She asked Aunt. «When souls fall over the edge, they fall a great distance—morally speaking. Hence the sound.» «When what souls fall over—» «Watch,» directed Aunt, her voice crisp. The Jinnjirri healer pointed toward something bobbing up and down in the swiftly moving water. Squinting, Kelandris suddenly realized she was watching someone's head bobbing in the water. The man fell over the edge, his body lifeless. When he hit the pool below, he sank and did not rise. «What happened?» asked Kelandris, wondering if she should dive in after him. Aunt held her back. «That soul's future is of no concern to you.» «Maybe. Maybe not,» snapped Kelandris. «I'm not going to stand on this bank and quibble over my responsibility or lack of it while someone drowns.» She pulled away from Aunt. «Stop!» commanded Aunt with such force that Kelandris came to a dead halt. Aunt pointed again to the waterfall. Another head bobbed up and down. This time it was a woman. She flailed helplessly and fell over the edge as the man before had done. Unlike her predecessor, the woman did not sink. She continued to float downstream. «At least she can swim,» muttered Kelandris. «One's ability to swim is of no consequence in this river. The reason the woman did not sink is this: someone has forgiven her the thing that has made her forget herself. Someone has forgiven her the thing that has made her fall off the edge. No one has forgiven the man.» Kelandris stiffened. «That wasn't Cobeth, was it?» Aunt shook her head. «No. But Cobeth will be along.» Kelandris stared at Aunt. «What do you mean he'll be along? Where?» «There,» said Aunt, pointing to the river again. «He falls off the edge several times a day. We can wait here and watch. Kelandris said nothing. She saw what Aunt was doing; she saw only too clearly. And it angered her. If what the Jinnjirri shade said was true, then Cobeth would fall over the waterfall—and sink. It would be up to Kelandris to save him or not. Not that it really mattered, she reminded herself. After all, Cobeth was already dead. Drowning several times a day was simply anticlimactic. It was nothing to worry about. Of course, said Kelandris to herself, Cobeth had always had a terrible fear of water. Always. Kelandris winced. She turned to Aunt and asked, «What happens if don't stay and watch?» «Nothing. I go back to creating my next body and you return home to the Kaleidicopia.» «Without Zendrak.» Aunt nodded. «Can't be helped, I'm afraid. You can't save Zendrak without speaking directly to Troth and Phebene. True love is one of the few ways death can be overcome in this world.» Aunt shrugged. «You see the situation, I think.» Kelandris crossed her arms over her chest. «I don't want to forgive Cobeth for what he did.» «Fine. Don't forgive him. I don't care. You can save his life without forgiving the bastard. You can save it not because he's Cobeth, but because he's a two-legged in trouble. You nearly did that for a stranger only moments ago.» Kelandris shrugged. «Cobeth's no stranger.» «But he is a two-legged. One who is lost and drowning—» Aunt broke off. Pointing, she added, «Here he comes now.» Kelandris swallowed, anger in her throat. Cobeth was screaming for help, his terror of the water surrounding him evident. Kelandris covered her ears. Cobeth's yells penetrated her fingers. «Shit,» she said. «Shit.» Unable to ignore Cobeth's pain, Greatkin Kelandris jumped into the River of Memory as Cobeth went over the edge of the falls. Water filled her mouth, she began to cough. In horror, she realized her long robe was pulling her down. She fought for her own life as Cobeth came crashing down on top of her. As is the habit of most drowning persons, Cobeth latched on to Kelandris with a stranglehold. Kelandris started to kick him off her. She could not dislodge the Jinnjirri actor. Panic shot through her body. Unlike Cobeth, she was not dead. Summoning her will to live—the very will that Cobeth had tried to extinguish sixteen years ago—Kelandris thrashed toward the bank of the river, Cobeth clinging to her back like a barnacle. Coughing and gasping, Kelandris threw herself toward the muddy bank. Hands reached down to help her. They belonged to Troth and Phebene. Looking up, Kelandris muttered, «I've hardly saved his life, my dears. All I've really done is save my own. Surely I can't have passed the test.» Phebene laughed merrily. «Come, come, Kelandris. You could've thrown him off if you had wanted to do so. You're a Greatkin. Your strength far outstrips his. Remember, we're Greatkin, too. So you saved his soul—whether or not you want to admit it.» Troth grinned. «She's been living with two-leggeds so long, she thinks we're thick like them. How amusing.» Kelandris shut her eyes and lay in an exhausted heap on the riverbank. Cobeth crawled away from her, his mind suddenly filled with memories of his previous life. After a few moments, he said, «Where in Neath am I? What is this creepy place?» Troth's laughter boomed out across the water. Aunt, who stood on the opposite bank, joined him with laughter of her own. Kelandris was still wet when she was taken to Zendrak. Trickster's emissary stood up. He was no longer wearing green. Now he wore black, the color of the shades of Neath. She became unexpectedly shy upon seeing him. She wondered if he was angry with her that she had come to fetch him from Neath. Maybe he wanted to die, she thought suddenly. After all, he was over five centuries old. Before Kelandris could think about it further, she heard Zendrak's voice inside her head. Of course, I didn't want to die, Kel. Why would I want to leave you? Akindo had slipped into my heart, that's all. He got me once, but he won't get me again. I am indebted to you, sweetheart. So's the world. What you've done here took more courage than anyone will ever know. Now we must return to the lands of light and finish the shuffling bastard. Even now, he sucks hope and all other good things from the city. So we must hurry and save our hellos and kisses for tonight. We will attack Akindo and Hennin on the morrow. I must rest my body—assuming Troth gives me a new one. He extended his hands toward Kelandris. Kelandris took them hesitantly, expecting his fingers to be cold like the grave. To her great surprise, Zendrak's fingers and palms were warm. «How can this be?» she whispered. «Weren't you dead?» «Your love for me has brought some warmth to my veins.» He smiled reassuringly. «I know it sounds trite. But love often is on the surface. Really, nothing could be simpler than love. The desire of the heart is the strongest remedy there is. Nothing can block it. Not even Death.» «And not Mattermat!» cackled a familiar voice. It was Rimble come to join them. He looked insufferably pleased himself. Clapping Kelandris on the lower back— because that was as far as he could reach—Trickster congratulated Kelandris on passing Aunt's test. Kelandris rolled her eyes and reiterated the fact that she had not wanted to save Cobeth. She just hadn't been able to make herself throw him back into the river. «Where's the heroism in that?» she demanded. Zendrak extended his arm. As he did so, Cobeth walked into the room. This was the real article. The Jinnjirri regarded Kelandris thoughtfully. Licking his lips, he said, «I can't believe you saved my soul.» «Me neither,» she snapped, wanting to conclude her business in Neath, wanting to put her arms around Zendrak and cover him with kisses. «I appreciate it,» said Cobeth humbly. «Who cares?» «No—I really do appreciate it.» Kelandris said nothing, oddly moved by Cobeth's gratitude. She shifted her weight, hoping